Upswing in Indo-U.S. relations

The U.S. president, Mr. Bill Clinton's visit to India has inaugurated what could be a brighter and more promising chapter in the history of the relationship between India and the United States which has for long been a troubled and difficult one.

However it is undeniable that the sharp gap remains on crucial policy issues, such as India's nuclear weapons and the manner of engaging or not engaging Pakistan. No diplomatic "spin" or attempt to finesse these differences, as for instance suggesting a greater convergence between the Indian and American official views on terrorism, will camouflage the actual fact that beneath the veneer of cordiality and bonhomie, the American strategic view of the subcontinent has not changed in essence. Yet the more frequent diplomatic exchanges between India and the U.S. that have now been envisaged should certainly make it easier for both sides to place their differences in a context that is far less strained.

The conclusions that emerge at the end of the political part of Mr. Clinton's sojourn in India are unmistakable. While the upswing and the greater momentum in Indo-U.S. relations is welcome and indeed necessary, its best expression would be found in deepening and expanding economic and cultural exchanges.

India which has been insisting that there ought not to be any external mediation in its problems with Pakistan must resist the temptation to use the U.S. as an interlocutor, however well disposed it seems at the moment. The only course forward is to delink Indo-U.S. relations from India-Pakistan ties. The imperative is to deal with Pakistan directly, especially since India would require such dealings to be on India's own terms. The relationship with the United States, which is a promising and potentially multifaceted one, should not be held hostage to India's regional stakes.

-- The Hindu, New Delhi